In leading the American League in batting average, home runs and RBI Miguel Cabrera became the first player to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, and just 12th player in modern history (since 1901) to win the Triple Crown.

None of them are Indians, but one of them almost was.

In 1953 Al Rosen led the league in home runs (44) and RBI (145), but he finished second in batting average to Washington's Mickey Vernon, by the slimmest of margins: .337 to .336.

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The batting race literally came down to Rosen's last at bat of the year. On the last day of the season Vernon went 2-for-4 and Rosen went 3-for-5 against Detroit. In that last at bat the Tigers, who were leading the game 7-1, played their infield excessively deep, inviting Rosen to lay down what would have an easy, and gift, bunt single.

As quoted in Russell Schneider's definitive "Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia, Rosen said, "Al Aber was pitching, and he was kind of wild. In my last trip to the plate, figuring I needed one more hit to pass Vernon, I went to a 3-2 count and knew I had to swing at whatever Aber threw."

Rosen then fouled off four consecutive 3-2 pitches before hitting a high chopper to third baseman Jerry Priddy. It was a bang-bang play at first.

"The umpire called me out -- he was right, I was out -- and that was that," said Rosen.

Had Rosen been safe, he would have finished with a batting average of .3372 to Vernon's .3371, and Rosen would have won the Triple Crown.

But Rosen was out and he finished with an average of .33555, which was officially listed as .336, losing the Triple Crown by .001.

However, Rosen's consolation prize wasn't bad: he was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player -- unanimously -- and remains the last Indians player to win that award.

Said Verlander of Cabrera's achievement: "Unbelievable. I think we (his teammates) are all kind of in shock. It was an honor to be able to watch this entire season. I think some of us had to tell him how big of a deal it was. He's the best player on the planet."

Trout fishing

The debate on whether Cabrera or Mike Trout should win the AL MVP award is raging between the stat-head advanced metrics lobby and the more mainstream old-school stats disciples.

Trout was thrown out stealing in the season finale Wednesday so he finished with 49 steals, one short of being the third player in history with a 30-50 season in steals and home runs (Barry Bonds in 1990, Eric Davis in 1987).

Trout finished with a .326 average (2nd to Cabrera), with a league-leading 129 runs scored and 49 steals plus 30 home runs. Among his long list of remarkable accomplishments at age 20/21: he is the first player in history with at least 30 home runs, 45 stolen bases and 125 runs scored in a season. Any season. Not just rookie.

Asked if he was surprised by his season Trout said, "Maybe a little bit. But I just go out there and have fun, just try to do my thing every day and whatever happens, happens."

Trout called Cabrera "the best hitter in the game" and his Triple Crown season "awesome."

Uncle Buck

Orioles GM Andy MacPhail, on AL Manager of the Year candidate Buck Showalter: "I knew working with him for a while that he is extremely prepared and would have his players prepared. I know Buck really doesn't have an off button. But in getting to work with him for a while, you learn he doesn't really have a pause button."

Valentine's day

The Red Sox fired manager Bobby Valentine exactly 14 hours and 14 minutes after a 14-2 season-ending loss to the Yankees. Valentine is the first Red Sox manager since Bucky Harris in 1934 to get just one year on the job. The last time it happened in baseball was with Joe Girardi and the Marlins in 2006.

So the Red Sox next year will have their third manager in as many seasons.

No candidates have been officially confirmed, but four of the men interviewed last year, prior to the hiring of Valentine are available: Gene Lamont, Torey Lovullo, Pete Mackanin, and Sandy Alomar Jr. (if he doesn't get the Indians' job).

Valentine has offered to help the new manager in any way he can. He also offered to help GM Ben Cherington and the owners with questions on players and the team. Valentine has a year left on his contract and will likely be paid the full amount, about $2.25 million.

Well Dunn, sort of

Adam Dunn finished with 222 strikeouts, including 10 in his last four games, and probably would have broken Mark Reynolds' major league record of 223 had not White Sox manager not played Dunn in the last game of the season.

On the plus side, Dunn belted 41 home runs and had 96 RBI, although he only hit .204 in what for him was a bounce back season.

"Obviously there were some good things and a lot of bad things," he said. "At least I'll be able to come into spring training and won't have to work on 15 different things."

The $159 million failure

Angels GM and former Indians pitcher Jerry Dipoto had a lot of big successes in his first year as the Angels GM -- the biggest free-agent day in baseball history (Albert Pujols/CJ Wilson), traded for bullpen stud Ernesto Frieri, acquired Zack Greinke in mid-season. But the Angels failed to win 90 games and didn't make the playoffs.

"I don't want to call that a successful season but I don't know that I'd deem it a failure," DiPoto said. "We came up short. That's for certain. And we have to figure out how to not come up short next time."

The century boys

The Cubs lost 101 games, their most since Leo Durocher guided them to 103 losses in 1966. So in his last year with Boston and his first year with the uber-executive Theo Epstein's record is 128-196.

"Not many people around here have been through this many losses," Epstein said. "It serves as motivation. It's a very stark baseline of where we are and how much improvement we need to make."

Adios

In Atlanta's last regular season game Wednesday against the Pirates, Ben Sheets started for the Braves, pitched the first inning, and retired -- just like he said he would.

Sheets, 34, announced Tuesday the outing would be his last, then went out and threw an inspiring inning: 12 pitches, two strikeouts, and 10 fastballs including eight clocked at 94 mph or higher. He topped out with a 96-mph heater to strike out Andrew McCutchen.

"He comes in after the inning and goes, 'Ok, that's all I've got, boys,'" Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's been a pleasure and a great experience having him around since the All-Star break. Great teammate, and guys love him."

Bad Albert

When the Angels signed Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $246 million mega-contract last December, they had to figure they were going to get the worst years of Pujols' eventual Hall of Fame career, but they couldn't have figured they'd get it in the first year of that contract.

Pujols' worst year would be a career year for many players: a .285 batting average, 30 home runs and 105 RBI.

The machine

Chase Headley of the Padres led all batters this season by reaching base safely in 146 of the 161 games he played. The record since 1960 is held by Wade Boggs who reached safely in 152 of 161 games in 1985.

Overtime heroes

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Orioles are the first team to win extra-inning games in a season that went 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18 innings.

October playpens

Believe it or not, among all active major league ballparks, Progressive Field has hosted the fifth-most postseason games. The top five:

The A's are offering some unusual memorabilia to collectors: used corks and champagne bottles from their postseason-clinching celebration on Monday.

Around the horn

o The Royals have the longest postseason drought of any team in the four major sports. All the other teams in major league baseball, the NHL, NFL and NBA have made it to the postseason at least once since the Royals' last appearance in 1985.

o When Dan Johnson hit three home runs against the Indians and Evan Longoria did it vs. the against the Orioles on Wednesday, they joined Gus Zernial (1950) and Dick Allen (1968) as the only players to hit three homers in the final game of the season. Longoria is tied with Stan Musial for most final-day homers with six.

o The Orioles turned it around this year -- literally. They were 69-93 last year and 93-69 this year.

o Nats manager Davey Johnson and Billy Martin are the only managers to take four different teams to the postseason. Martin took the Twins, Tigers, A's and Yankees while Johnson has taken the Mets, Reds, Orioles and Nats.

o David Price is Tampa Bay's first 20-game winner, leaving the Rockies as the only team that has never had one.

o The game between the Cubs and Astros on Wednesday was only the 11th game since 1901 between two teams with 100 losses.

o Chipper Jones Wednesday collected a pinch-hit single in the last regular season at-bat of his career, which began in 1993. Jones' single off the Pirates' A.J. Burnett came 19 years and 19 days after his first major hit, also a pinch-hit single, off the Reds' Kevin Wickander, a former Indian, on Sept. 14, 1993.

o The Brewers are the first team since the 1996 Rockies to lead the NL in home runs and stolen bases.

o Marco Scutaro of the Giants joined Al Rosen (1953), Bobby Bonilla (1995) and Nomar Garciaparra (2000) as the only players to end a season with a hitting streak of exactly 20 games.

o The White Sox' attendance was down for the sixth year in a row, falling below 2 million for the first time since 2004.

o The Angels are not expected to pick up 2013 club options on pitchers Dan Haren or Ervin Santana. So add them to this off-season's list of free agent pitchers.

o Over their 20 consecutive losing seasons, the Pirates have a record of 1,374-1,796.

Three strikes

1. Is the expected hiring of Terry Francona, who will likely become the Indians' highest paid manager ever, a sign that ownership is willing to change tactics and be more financially aggressive in acquiring talent during the coming off-season?

2. Since the Indians refused my two years of lobbying for them to sign free agent Josh Willingham, I'm turning the page. My next crusade: sign free agent Nick Swisher. He's energetic, telegenic, played at Ohio State, but most important of all he's durable and he produces: eight consecutive years of 20 or more homers.

3. Say what you will about his methods, but how boring would this Indians season have been without Chris Perez?